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Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 350 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • Optional but recommended: ½ tsp ground allspice
Wet Ingredients
  • 170 g unsalted butter softened
  • 150 g brown sugar
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 75 g molasses
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Ginger–Cinnamon–Clove Rolling Sugar
  • 50 g ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground cloves
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Cookie scoop
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooling rack
  • Kitchen scale

Method
 

Whisk dry ingredients
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 350 g flour, 1 ¼ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp ginger, 2 ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and ½ tsp allspice (if using) until evenly combined. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars
  1. In a large bowl, beat 170 g softened butter, 150 g brown sugar, and 60 g granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla
  1. Beat in 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk until smooth.
  2. Mix in 75 g molasses and 2 tsp vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Combine wet and dry
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
  2. The dough should be thick, soft, and scoopable.
Portion the dough (preferred method)
  1. Scoop dough into 2½–3 Tbsp portions (about 55–60 g each) and roll into smooth balls.
  2. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate.
Chill the dough balls
  1. Refrigerate the rolled dough balls for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours).
Alternate option:
  1. If you don’t have room in your refrigerator, you may chill the entire bowl of dough for 2 hours, then scoop and roll just before baking.
Make the rolling sugar
  1. While the dough chills, whisk together 50 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger, ¾ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of cloves, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Set aside.
Roll and bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Roll each chilled dough ball generously in the rolling sugar.
  3. Place cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake
  1. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until edges are set and centers look soft and puffed.
  2. Do not overbake.
Cool
  1. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Tips & Tricks 

  • Cookies should look slightly underbaked in the center when removed from the oven; they finish setting as they cool.
  • Final thickness after cooling: approximately ¾–1 inch.
  • Rolling sugar is essential for aroma, flavor, and classic gingerbread appearance.

Storage

  • Store cookies airtight at room temperature for 3–4 days.
  • For extra softness, add a slice of bread to the container.
  • Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.
  • Dough balls may be frozen for up to 2 months and baked from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.